By Our Correspondent
President Bola Tinubu departed Abuja Monday for Paris, using the new Airbus A330, which replaced the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700(BBJ) bought under the Presidency of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In a statement, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy said “the new plane, bought far below the market price, saves Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly”.
He said the recommendation to replace the B737-700(BBJ) followed an investigative hearing by Nigeria’s parliament that questioned the plane’s safety record and cost efficiency, especially after it malfunctioned during a trip to Saudi Arabia.
“The Nigerian Senate’s security and intelligence committee recommended replacing the ageing aircraft in the presidential fleet to reduce downtime and operational expenses”, Onanuga concluded.
